When I first began meditating (a few years ago), it was much more the issue of physical discomfort (bachache) than it was the difficulty of not being able to let go of the busy little stories on my mind. I started with a meditation lasting several minutes (seemed grueling at the time), gradually made my way to half hour meditations (yup, that’s right), and tried all sorts of methods e.g. counting, naming, mantra, guided, etc.
I was listening to a Hay House Radio podcast a few months ago hosted by Davidji and realized that his Heart Meditation and 16 Seconds to Bliss would be the perfect remedy for the beginner who wants to try meditation, would like to dedicate themselves to a regular practice, and has discovered that traditional methods have proven challenging and possibly disheartening. One of the most important things about meditation is to NOT QUIT because the benefits are just too numerous and valuable! Also understand that some days meditation will feel easier than others and that’s okay. I hope you’ll give those two very short meditations a chance. If you love them, be sure to join his SweetSpot Community in which you will regularly receive both weekday & weekend meditations and tune in to his free podcasts on Hay House Radio (in which he covers the meditations more in-depth). I have a meditation of his to recommend in a later post; probably one of the nicest meditations I’ve ever tried…
Set your alarm to a gentle ring, get into a comfortable posture, close your eyes, relax your muscles, don’t follow the stories, breathe, and be solely in the present…
Namaste.
*Davidji on Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=davidji
*Photocredit: Grand Rapids Center for Mindfulness
